Acpoa Parking Ticket @ Worle Station

Ihrx

Hi there,
I read your guide to Private Parking tickets and their legitimacy because I had a parking ticket issued today by Apcoa at Worle Train Station, Weston Super Mare.

I am a Special Constable in Avon & Somerset police and from my viewpoint, parking in the location I did was completely lawful and was not hurting anyone.
Let me explain:
- There are NO road markings.
- The sign regarding parking regulations is pathetically small (though I was parking literally right next to it)
- I did not obstruct traffic or padestrian acces in ANY way.
- It is not ever pointed out to the driver that the car park is in fact private land.
- THE CAR PARK IS FREE TO USE
- Other people park in the same location because the car park ends up getting very crowded.

Picture of car park: (I have one but cannot post it due to restrictions)

I am sending a letter to Apcoa to explain that I am not paying for these reasons. What are my chances of success?

Thanks. =]

Kite2010

I shall predict you will receive a letter back saying "after careful consideration we have decided to reject your appeal".

Unless the ticket mentions railway bylaws, ignore it.

Ihrx

Kite2010 wrote: »

I shall predict you will receive a letter back saying "after careful consideration we have decided to reject your appeal".

Unless the ticket mentions railway bylaws, ignore it.

Is it not worth sending them a letter mentioning this?

Kite2010

Ihrx wrote: »

Is it not worth sending them a letter mentioning this?

I wouldn't say it will be worth it, as all it will be doing is marking your file on their system as a potential victim and confirming the address.

Ihrx

Kite2010 wrote: »

I wouldn't say it will be worth it, as all it will be doing is marking your file on their system as a potential victim and confirming the address.

Ok, thanks.

Coupon-mad

Completely ignore APCOA, there are lots of forum threads about them on here, CAG and pepipoo which are easily found. Google 'APCOA parking station ignore' and read the results.

Don't fall for a fake PCN, there is no fine. There is no appeals procedure despite what the 'ticket' says.

esmerobbo

Although all the points made are relevant it wont matter to them. Their stock answer will be "after due consideration we find the charge is payable" Best to ignore from the start.

You will receive the standard letter chain then they will go away and annoy someone else.

Ihrx

esmerobbo wrote: »

Although all the points made are relevant it wont matter to them. Their stock answer will be "after due consideration we find the charge is payable" Best to ignore from the start.

You will receive the standard letter chain then they will go away and annoy someone else.

Noted, thanks.

I've been browsing google aswel and it looks like Apcoa are hitting car parks in Somerset recently. (Someone in Bristol Parkway had a ticket) and there were a few people reading the parking notice this morning as if it had only just been put there. :T


Just a quick question? If they have no legal power to issue these tickets EVEN IF an actual offense had been commited, should I not pop this down to my friends the Police? I'm massively confused at how this kinda of corporate scam is not destroyed at it's roots...

Coupon-mad

Ihrx wrote: »

Noted, thanks.

I've been browsing google aswel and it looks like Apcoa are hitting car parks in Somerset recently. (Someone in Bristol Parkway had a ticket) and there were a few people reading the parking notice this morning as if it had only just been put there. :T


Just a quick question? If they have no legal power to issue these tickets EVEN IF an actual offense had been commited, should I not pop this down to my friends the Police? I'm massively confused at how this kinda of corporate scam is not destroyed at it's roots...

I know where you are coming from, it is shocking that they can get away with passing their invoice off to look like a parking ticket. Watchdog covered it in a second programme last year, they asked people in the street to say whether a real Council CPN or a fake PPC one was the legit parking ticket.

Guess what, 70% of people IIRC said the fake one was the real one (it was the scary wording and chequered bordering that did it - some of them even copy Police FPNs!).

But the point is that we haven't said no-one has the power to issue such an invoice - anyone can. I could invoice you for replying to your question! But enforcing that demand and actually making people pay - now that's a another matter...:p

Having said that, some of the typical threatograms do seem to breach the law:

http://www.insolvencyhelpline.co.uk/debt_factsheets/harassment_of_people_in_debt_by_creditors.php#1

But again the cops won't be interested (because of your job you may be able to push them on that point but don't expect any interest at all!). You could send the threatograms to the local Trading Standards office and the OfT, your local MP, etc., with a stiff complaint - but don't be surprised if they do nothing.

Certainly do not ask your local CAB for advice, you will never guess who wrote their standard advice on PPC fake tickets? It was the PPCs themselves (you couldn't make it up!).

esmerobbo

Ihrx wrote: »

Just a quick question? If they have no legal power to issue these tickets EVEN IF an actual offense had been commited, should I not pop this down to my friends the Police? I'm massively confused at how this kinda of corporate scam is not destroyed at it's roots...

As C-M says issuing the invoice is not illegal they are actually within their rights to charge for using the car park, if its a charge one. What they cant do is enforce an invoice for more then they have lost, or issue an invoice which is for a penalty!

If they could prove the driver, if they could prove a loss, if they could convince a Judge there was no penalty. They may, and have won at court. However very very few companies try it and those that do pick their targets very well.;)

By ignoring them they have little if any chance of doing anything other then send some intimidating letters. Which I am sure you will be able to deal with!

PS: Some Police officers have advised to pay these companies. However their normal response is its a civil matter nothing to do with us!

Ihrx

esmerobbo wrote: »

As C-M says issuing the invoice is not illegal they are actually within their rights to charge for using the car park, if its a charge one. What they cant do is enforce an invoice for more then they have lost, or issue an invoice which is for a penalty!

If they could prove the driver, if they could prove a loss, if they could convince a Judge there was no penalty. They may, and have won at court. However very very few companies try it and those that do pick their targets very well.;)

By ignoring them they have little if any chance of doing anything other then send some intimidating letters. Which I am sure you will be able to deal with!

Ah! I get it now. lol

The only thing I'm worried about is being taken to court. I acknowledge that this is a rare and unlikely outcome, but consider I was actually parked right next to their parking sign and they will inevitably have photographic proof.
They must be completly stupid to take me, a police officer, to court given my defence. _pale_